Four years ago, I was an awkward, nerdy freshman moving into her room in LaFollette. I was scared. I knew no one at Ball State and I had never spent an extended period of time away from my family. I wasn't for sure that college was the right choice for me and that going to Ball State was best.

If I could go back in time and tell my freshman self one thing, it'd be this: You undoubtedly did make the best decision of your life in choosing to go to Ball State.

When I was a senior in high school, I got asked on the daily what my plans after graduation where. When I told everyone I planned on going to Ball State, I said it with pride regardless of their reaction. I knew from the moment that I stepped on campus as an eighth grader on a field trip that I'd be a student at BSU one day. There was a feeling that overcame me even at such a young age. That feeling happened for a reason, I just knew it, and the feeling of commitment to Ball State never swayed. Ball State may not be the most popular, "best" school out there, but to me it was perfect.

Very quickly, Ball State started to feel like a safe haven. I knew McKinley Avenue like the back of my hand and could navigate my way through campus easily. But more so than that, I just really felt at peace at Ball State. Everyone I met approached me with kindness and wanted to get to know me as an individual. That was a great feeling. I left my freshman year confident that I had made the right choice in choosing Ball State and excited to return again in the fall.

As my time at Ball State continued, the love I had for this university grew and grew. Ball State has been a place where I have experienced some of my life's greatest memories, and with that, Ball State has allowed me to become the person I am today. I know for a fact that I wouldn't be as confident, determined, and ready to succeed if it wasn't for the education and experiences Ball State has provided me with. For this, I will be forever grateful.

Ball State, thank you. Thank you for providing me with an A/C-less dorm freshman year that helped me find some of my forever friends. Thank you for having professors who are passionate and who want to help. Thank you for giving every student opportunities to succeed in whatever it is they choose to do. Years from now, when I'm far moved on from Muncie, Indiana, and everything that went on in my college days, I will never forget where my home is. My home is where my heart is, and that will forever be Ball State University.